The Festive Spirit is alive at the Pike Road Theatre Company's production of A Christmas Story: the Musical, from the charmingly decorated lobby to the spectacular Christmas tree at the proscenium edge, to the flexible sets and inventive costumes, to the rolicking production numbers, as we follow the antics of Ralphie [Judah Miller] on his quest for "a Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time" in this musical version of the popular 1983 Jean Shepherd holiday film of the same name. -- Constant warnings of "You'll shoot your eye out" come at him from every corner, but Ralphie won't be dissuaded.
Jaon Isbell [the adult Ralphie] affectionally narrates the story of his 1940 Christmas goings-on. To those familiar with the film, yes Ralphie's Old Man [Gary D. Thompson] still mutters curses under his breath and wins "a major award" in a contest [a leg-lamp]; the neighborhood boys "triple-dog-dare" one of them to lick a flagpole and get his tongue stuck to it; there are bullies who regularly get into trouble; Ralphie is forced to wear a pink bunny pajama set; his younger brother Randy [Zion Miller, and the real-life brother of the protagonist] muddles things up a lot; the local teacher Miss Shields [Jan Roeton] can be counted on to be a tough disciplinarian and a wonderfully comic vaudevillian; Ralphie's fantasies of grandeur are brought to effervescent light; a grumpy Santa [Jon Darby] can't wait to end his shift on Christmas Eve; and Mother [Tricette Savage], ever the peacemaker who is gifted with a fine singing voice and a calming demeanor, is the solid strength that holds the family together.
With a cast of countless adults and children, director Travis Clark keeps the action moving on a multi-leveled set; Kim Isbell's choreography captures the spirit of the piece; Emily Blossom's witty costumes complete the picture.
Lighting unfortunately had so many dark spots that actors faces were often obscured by deep shadows. And -- as in many local productions -- the sound imbalance between the recorded musical score and the actors' enthusiastic voices made many lyrics difficult to understand.
Running at just a bit over two-hours, the sheer energy of the company all but guarantees that audiences will leave the theatre in the right Christmas spirit.
